Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Thanks For The (Non) Input

The other day I was looking for some new audio recording and editing software for my computer. (I've been think about spicing up the other site with some golf-related podcasts, but that is another topic for another day.) Anyway, I just wanted something basic and not too large, because most of my computer's memory is taken up by music files and it already runs pretty slowly. As it happens when you are on the Internet, my simple search led me down paths to all sorts of sites, one of which was a forum for people who do podcasts to leave message to one another and troubleshoot some of their software. There were all kinds of topics about podcasting to look through, one of which was a discussion on the legality of using popular songs as liners or show-openings and at what point you need to pay the artist for the rights to use their stuff. Personally I think that only becomes an issue when more than 20 people start listening to your stuff so you can cross that bridge when you come to it, but I'm no lawyer. Anyways, one of the posters left a message that said, "I'm sure there are copies of cover bands performing famous songs out there and you could use those instead of the original recording, but I'm certainly not going to be the one who helps you find them, because I think that is wrong."

See, this is why I avoid chat rooms and Internet forum sites. This guy took the time out of his day to compose a response that pretty much said, "Hi, I'm a tool." I was always raised that if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. As I've gotten older I've realised this should be amended to include the phrase, "if you don't have anything intelligent to say". Instead of taking that advice, this person decided they needed to include their input on the issue, even though they clearly didn't have anything constructive to add to the discussion. They wanted their voice to be heard, even if it wasn't actually saying anything useful. When that is the case, guys like this should stay out of the way of the people who do. Just read the topic and if you can't think of anything funny or helpful to say then move to another forum. But, if this poster insisted on commenting then he should have either suggested an alternative music source or had an actual insight on the legality of the issue. Instead he got up on his high horse about how he treats his podcast, as if he has Howard Stern-level listeners. Also, the tone bothered the hell out of me, because it was written with a smug superiority that should never come from anyone who spends a lot of time in chat rooms (and judging my how many posts he had made, this guy spends a lot of time there). You would think he would be better educated on posting etiquette.

-While I am well aware that one game in a summer league does not a career make, I was encouraged by what I saw out of Luke Harangody's debut yesterday. Playing against an Oklahoma City squad that featured a couple of NBA regulars, 'Gody held his own and led the Celtics in scoring with 23 points. (I would have liked to seen more rebounds, but I'm not going to nit-pick.) Having a good game in the summer league is kind of double-edged sword: you're going against a lot of guys who are long shots to make the league, so if you play well then, frankly, you were supposed to. But, if you don't have a good game than it can send up all kinds of red flags about your NBA potential. As a second-rounder Harangody doesn't have the kind of roster security where he can afford to put doubts in anyone's mind. Also, if there is any question as to what kind of role the Celtics are envisioning Luke to have, take the fact that he had 6 three-point attempts as an indicator that they want him to fill the Scalabrine role and be a deep threat off the bench. I'm not totally sure that that is the best way to use him, but given the news that Shaquille O'Neal and the Celtics are making googly eyes at one another and Rasheed Wallace is re-thinking his retirement, the low-post could be a crowded spot next season. [Sidebar: I'll take either Shaq or Sheed, but not both. Otherwise those two will have a reverse race to see who can get down the floor slower and never make it inside the three point arc. Given Perk's knee injury Shaq may be the better option.]

Monday, July 5, 2010

The Norwood Doll Carriage Parade

Have you ever wished you could find the perfect example up the phrase "Organized Chaos" in action? If so, then you should come to the Norwood Doll Carriage Parade, held every year on the 4th of July.

Now, I talked about this last year and yeah, I make fun of how crazy it is at the start (seriously, you try to get that many kids to do anything at the same time), but it really is a great family event. It seems to be getting bigger every year, and this year had well over 300 kids participate.

The Brenizer girls know that the key to good parade participation
is to stay hydrated before you start waving to the crowd.

I love this picture, taken as the parade was slow to get underway,
because I feel like it sums up the girls personalities.
Addison is content to hang out and we'll go when we go.
Charlotte seems to be thinking really hard about how to make
this whole process more efficient.

Remember how I told you over 300 kids participated?
Add to that the fact that their parents, grandparents (and occasionally uncles)
also decided to walk alongside and this was a good-sized event.
We were near the middle of the pack, so picture the same group behind us.
600 walkers... maybe 20 spectators.


And, of course, how else do you celebrate a parade ending,
but with a post-game tailgate. Sippy cups for everyone!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy 4th Of July!

I just want to wish everyone out there a Happy Fourth of July.
Hope you have a safe and great day.

While I know a lot of cities have firework displays on the 4th of July, the simple truth is that Boston, as it does with most things in life, just does it better than everyone else. Here's a great video shot from the Esplanade with a fantastic view of the skyline at night, followed by some fireworks from last year.



Also, since today is about tweaking the English almost as much as it about celebrating the US, enjoy some footage of Rob Green's missed save in the World Cup a couple weeks ago.



Happy Fourth of July, Everyone!!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Another Week's Worth Of Mini-Ramblings

-Could someone tell me when tissues became useless in the fight for clean glasses? As I was watering my lawn this afternoon I got some spray on my lenses. Using my shirt to wipe the water away only made it worse, but grabbing a Kleenex to try and clean them didn't make it much better. It just seemed to smudge the water, causing my eyesight to become even blurrier. The only thing that finally got my glasses clean again was using one of those special micro-fiber clothes that you often see in optical stores. Seriously, what kind of racket have the people who make glasses and the people who make micro-fiber clothes cooked up here?

-Earlier this week there was a story about a kid who watched the movie The Program and then re-enacted the infamous scene where a couple of players laid down in the middle of the road to show how tough/hardcore they were. Only in real life, a car came along and killed the kid. Now, this happened several times when the movie first came out in 1993, so I am going to ignore all the obvious comments about this guy because those jokes were all made the first time around. Instead, I have a different question: where did this kid find a copy of the movie with that part included? The scene was quickly edited out while the film was still in theatres and wasn't even included on the DVD, which I found annoying because that was half the reason I even bought the thing (the other half being that The Program is one of the more under-rated sports movies of the past 20 years). I must have seen that movie a dozen times and still have never seen this scene. This kid was clearly smart enough to know his way around the Internet, so you would think he would know enough not to lie in the middle of the road.

-There was a big to-do in the entertainment industry this week when Steve Carrell announced that he's going to be leaving The Office. People are trying to figure out if this will kill the show or just force it to reinvent itself. I lean more towards kill, but not right away. They could probably get another season out of it, just to see how it goes, but remember how awful that last season of That 70's Show was without Topher Grace? If they still had the Pam and Jim saga to play out it would have been better, but at this point I think that's all done. It was never as good as the British version anyway.

-You know what I am not looking forward to tomorrow? Highlights of the yearly Coney Island hotdog eating contest. First off, shoving a lot of food down your throat really fast is not a sport, it's just an easting disorder. Secondly, how did this become synonymous with the 4th of July? Really, that day is supposed to be about fireworks and barbecues but I can't eat a hotdog after watching that. We need to stop glorifying this event, just like we need to end this strange obsession with people using New Year's Eve as an excuse to jump cars and bikes over and off of things that no one asked them to.

-While I normally am not one for cologne, I like to spray a little on for interviews. However, the other day I had one, but a quick look revealed that I could not get another spray out of the bottle that I had. Thus, I was forced to go to the emergency stash of sample-sized ones that I get each year from my Christmas stocking. Just because it was the most recent and therefore the least likely to have separated back to it's flammable components, I went with the Axe body spray. I'm never going to claim to have any type of odor-sensing skills, but the smell was very familiar to me. Turns out that Axe Body spray is the same as Drakkar Noir, just with a different label. I guess no matter what year you were born, that scent will be your first cologne, whether you want it to be or not.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Vigilante Highway Patrol

I think the police force's most effective weapon is undercover cops (though, I'm sure if you asked them 'guns' would rank highly and occasionally come in handy). Let's be honest, what stops the average person from turning into a criminal is the fear of getting caught, even for something very minor. However, if you don't see any cops around then you are more likely to stray outside the lines. This is especially true on the roads. If people are at a red light and there is a clear "No Turn On Red" sign in front of them but also no cruisers in sight, then most people are taking the turn whenever the traffic has a break; the sign be damned. Therefore, the best way to catch people is to make them think there are no cops around even though they are. The problem is that undercover cop cars on the highway are incredibly easy to spot. No one ever has to wonder, "Gee, do you think that navy blue Crown Victoria with the super-tinted windows and extra reinforced bumper might be a Statie?" Therefore I think it is time to take the radical step of deputising average citizens and giving them the power to pull over other citizens for traffic violations. I think we would all be better drivers if in the back of your mind you thought there was a chance the old lady in the Toyota Camry could pull you over at any moment and give you a ticket for changing lanes without first signaling.

Just so we're clear, I am not advocating giving me this authority. I am very aware that if I had it I would abuse it; pulling over people who committed no legal crime, only the crime of annoying me. Perfect example: Driving down the highway today a man was in the breakdown lane to my right. He was sort of hanging right by my back corner, in a spot that was very inconvenient for me. Now, this was during the morning rush hour and he had every right to be there. However, it's the Friday before a holiday weekend, so traffic was light and the other four lanes of the highway were moving very well, so he didn't need to be in the breakdown lane. He could have been making just as good on time in any other lane. I couldn't go faster because of an 18-wheeler in front of me and I had a car close enough behind me that I couldn't slow down too much. As my exit was coming up this guy sped up enough to pull along side me, but then stopped accelerating. He then just kind of hung out along side my car, despite my blinker being on, continued along passed the off-ramp and caused me to miss my exit. I had to drive to the next exit and turn around to get to my destination. Now, legally this guy didn't do anything wrong. But, if I had a badge and the authority? $10,000 ticket and suspended license.

-So, there is a report out that former Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor will be scoring all the music for the new Facebook movie. First off, I question how interesting any movie about social networking could possibly be. But, that aside, I have to admit I've never understood why everyone is so reverent towards Reznor. You know, I enjoyed "Closer" as much as the next guy, but when I was in high school people acted as though he was the next Lennon (by the way Nowhere Boy, the new John Lennon film, is a movie I am much more interested in seeing). Back then every kid who thought they were destined for the life of a starving artist would put the tell-tale "NIN" all over their notebooks and talked about "Trent" like his music spoke to them personally. I mean, I though the music was good, but nothing that would revolutionize the industry. And by now I kind of thought we were done with synthesisers and all that jazz. Personally I just feel like this would be much bigger news if it was still 1999.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

It's A Matter Of Perspectives

So, last week I mentioned that my trucked failed its yearly state inspection because the emergency brake was not working. This continues of tremendous streak of this particular vehicle never passing inspection on the first try in the entire time I have owned it. After bringing my car to the family mechanic and getting the e-brake repaired I went back to the place I failed my inspection for my free re-test... at which point I failed again. According to the regulations the brake needs to hold to at least 1200 RPMs and while the guy told me I was close to that number he "just couldn't give it to me." At this point I called my family mechanic who told me that there was nothing else he could do the brake - he had made it as strong as he could. He then suggested that I just go somewhere else, because it seemed like the first guy was just giving me a hard time. [Sidebar: This goes back to me just not inheriting 'IT' from my mom. Whatever 'IT' is that makes mechanics or any other salespeople give some people leeway but not others, my mom has it and I do not. My mom could pull into a garage with her car not having any windows and pass inspection while I will fail because my truck only held to 1199 RMPs.]

This time I went to a smaller garage closer to where my mechanic's shop is and told him that I just needed to confirm my emergency brake was fixed. (He asked me if I had gotten it fixed, which I found weird. If I hadn't gotten it fixed, then why would I be there? That would seem like a waste of everyone's time.) I pulled in the bay, at which point I got to act like I knew something about cars and assist in my own car's inspection. This was an entirely new experience because every other time I have ever gone to get my car inspected I would simply hand over the keys and then wait outside the bay while the mechanic did whatever he wanted to my beloved truck. But this time the guy just saddled up to the window and told me to engage the emergency brake, put the car into drive and give it a little gas. I practically pushed the e-brake pedal through the floor, but barely tapped the gas pedal, not wanting to gun the engine and have my RPMs skyrocket as my car jumped forward and I failed inspection for a personal-worst third time. However, the guy told me I needed to give it more gas. It was then that I had to fight back the urge to say out loud the smart-ass remark that I was thinking, which was either going to be "I think I'd rather not" or "Oh, no thank you; I'm good."

However, more gas produced my engine going almost all the way to 2000 RPMs without my truck so much as budging. How the hell my emergency brake could hold that well and fail inspection the first time is beyond me. I could understand if I was as close as the first guy said I was and this mechanic simply wasn't as tight with the numbers, but I was well passed where I needed to be. I am now fully convinced that the first guy either didn't engage the brake enough or simply wanted me to come back and give him another $29. The rest of the re-test was a formality, because I knew I was all good for the remainder of my safety requirement. The kicker was when he printed out my window sticker, telling me (almost apologetically) that he was going to have to give a June sticker instead of a July one because that was when I first got inspected. For those of you who read my inspection ordeal last summer you know that this was exactly what I wanted. So, now I am done with car inspections for another year and I have learned of another garage to not bring my truck to next summer. Also, if I take nothing else from this, I've decided my mom is taking my truck to get inspected next year.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Countdown To Nothing

There is nothing worse than a countdown where nothing happens as the clock reaches zeroes. All day ESPN has been counting down to midnight, because midnight on July 1st is the official start to the NBA free agency period. With lots of big names available, they are touting this as the most important off-season in NBA history; you know, even bigger than last year (though not as big as next year could be). While I get that ESPN dabbles almost exclusively in hyperbole at this point, I still have a problem with the countdown clock because nothing is actually going to happen at midnight. No free agents of consequence are going to sign right away. Everyone is waiting to first see what LeBron James is going to do and then they will react to that. He is the first domino to fall and he has given no indication he is in any hurry to pick his next destination. Because James went straight from high school to the NBA he was never really recruited by colleges and so far it seems as though he wants to make up for lost time. I would be really surprised if he signed within the first week of free agency, which means Wade, Bosh, Stoudemire and the rest of the free agent crop aren't going to sign before that. In the mean time I think ESPN can shelve the countdown clock, because tonight isn't going to be anything like New Year's Eve. (Scratch that: it's all countdown with minimal pay-off... it's just like New Year's Eve.)

-There was one NBA transaction of note today and that was Doc Rivers agreeing to come back to coach the Celtics for one last chance at the Championship. Six weeks ago I never would have seen this coming, so I can only assume that being six and half minutes and one Kendrick Perkins knee injury away from a title convinced him that they have one more run in them. Also (not that I expected him to leave), but I am pretty sure this will lock down a Paul Pierce return as well. If Doc had left I would have assumed Pierce would want to see who the next coach was going to be before signing on the dotted line. With Doc in place I expect Pierce to sign for less money than he would have made this year, but with more money down the line that he would not have been able to get under the new collective bargaining agreement. The question now is what to do with Ray Allen. Personally I would like him to come back, but it's a question of dollars. If he expects to make anywhere close to what he got this year then he is sorely mistaken. Offer him about half of what his last contract paid him and if he can make more than that on the open market than more power to him. In all honesty, I kind of want the Celtics to go after JJ Redick anyway, because he can shoot almost as well as Ray and would cost less. Then they just need to move Rasheed's contract for some big man insurance and they are all set to make another run at this. See, I went from "they're done" to "they should be the East favorites" in a week. I can talk myself into anything.

-So, this afternoon the Starz channel announced it would be cancelling the show Party Down. While I don't particularly care because I don't have that channel, this sent fans of the show into a frenzy, because that is what fans of shows do when shows get cancelled. I'm sure that a Facebook page has already been created in an effort to force Starz into one more season. Here's the thing about Party Down: much like Freaks & Geeks before it, everyone kept telling me how great it was, but I never met anyone who actually watched it. I always got the vibe that since it was one of those supposedly smart, well-written shows that get critical acclaim but terrible ratings, everyone wanted you to think they watched it but in reality they were skipping right over it so they could tune in to the Girls Next Door marathon. This is just like everyone who claims to recycle, but then tosses their pizza boxes into the trash cause they take up too much room. Perhaps rather than creating pages about how awful it is for the show to be cancelled, they should have been putting that energy into promoting the show through good word-of-mouth. Then again, it could be that everyone is just saying they're really sad to see the show get cancelled, but are actually counting down the days to the next episode of So You Think You Can Dance.